Heated or cooled ceiling or wall structures



June 23, 1970 P. A. J. LEDOUX 3,

HEATED OR COOLED CEILING OR WALL STRUCTURES Filed April l8, 1968 2 FIG.1 m

r L MIN" "Il |m||l 8 INVENTQR Pierre A. J. Le doux ATTORNEYS UnitedStates Patent 3,516,486 HEATED 0R COOLED CEILING 0R WALL STRUCTURESPierre A. J. Ledoux, Paris, France, assiguor to Hunter DouglasInternational Ltd., Pointe Claire, Montreal,

Quebec, Canada Filed Apr. 18, 1968, Ser. No. 722,487 Int. Cl. F24h 9/08US. Cl. 165-54 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present inventionrelates to panel ceiling and wall structures comprising metal elementsconstituting the visible ceiling structure and comprising supportingbars or channels upon which said elements are clipped. These supportingchannels are hung by means of hanger straps from the ceiling of thebuilding. The invention relates more specifically to the type of ceilingin which the elements which are clipped on the supporting channels areshaped as panels with upturned longitudinal edges thus leaving a freespace between their interior wall and the supporting channels whichconstitute the support means for said panels.

According to the invention one provides at the interior of these panelsor partially at the interior of these elements pipe members throughwhich a heat transfer fiuid is circulated for heating or cooling theroom by the ceiling, the heat transfer fluid may be hot or cold.

Thus a ceiling structure is obtained adding to its inherentcharacteristics the features of a hot or cold radiating ceiling system.

The invention provides for the use of pipe members for the circulationof fluid, having a diameter which conforms to the upturned interiorpanel edges, and are maintained in close contact with the latter.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the mounting of thepipe members is achieved by means of detachable clips which are insertedthrough openings provided in the supporting channels furnishing a heatbridge (intimate metal-to-metal-contact) between the pipe members andthe panels.

These and other objects and advantages will be apparent from thefollowing description of an illustrative construction, taken togetherwith the accompanying drawing, in which drawing:

FIG. 1 is a partial section through a ceiling of known construction towhich the invention relates;

FIG. 2 is a similar section of a ceiling of FIG. 1 to which theinvention has been applied;

FIG. 3 shows a side elevation of a loose clip for the mounting of a pipemember.

The ceiling comprises, as known, supporting channels 1, e.g. in the formof a reversed U, a so-called stringer, hung from the rough ceiling ofthe building by means of support straps 2. To these stringers, mutuallyspaced properly, the elongated panels 3 are clipped-on-place, e.g. fromrolled aluminum constituting the visual appearance of the ceiling.

These panels 3 are made from metal strip having upturned curvedlongitudinal edges forming concavities 4. The mounting of the panels tothe supporting channels 1 is achieved by punching out openings 5 in thelowermost flanges of the reversed U in such a way that tongues 6 or lips6 are made for clip-on-place engagement of the panels 3 by the edges ofsaid concavities.

According to the invention, one locates at the interior part of thepanels 3, against one or both concavities, pipe members 7 through whicha hot or cold heating transfer fluid is circulated, depending upon thedesire to Patented June 23 1970 heat or to cool the locality under saidceiling. These pipe members have a diameter which is in conformity tothe inner diameter of the concavities, allowing a good heat transmissionbetween said pipe members and the panels 3.

As shown, it would be of advantage to support the pipe members 7 bymeans of detachable metal clips 8 inserted through openings 9 providedin the supporting channels 1. Prior thereto the tongue-which has beenoriginally provided for clip-on-place of the panel 3 is pushed back inits opening, whereafter the clip 8 serves the purposes of supporting thepipe member against the concavity of the panel and of support means forsaid panel.

Following in particular the invention, one may use any appropriate meansfor support of the pipe members in the interior of the panels 3. Thevarious pipe members of the ceiling can e.g. be interconnected toconstitute a zig zag piping system.

I claim:

1. A heat transfer interior building panel construction comprising aplurality of spaced apart, parallelly arranged, elongated,channel-shaped metal panels (3) all of the same width and havingprofiled supporting flanges extending substantially the full length ofthe panels along their longer edges (4), at least two parallel elongatedmain support means (1) arranged transversely to the elongated panels andsecured to a building surface, said support means being provided withpanel clip-on-means, and a piping system which is connectable to asource of heat transfer fluid and which comprises parallel heat transferfluid'metal pipe members (7) carried by fixing clips (8) secured to saidsupport means 1), the arrangement being such that the metal pipe members(7) are located within at least one of the lower edges (4) at theinterior of at least a number of said metal panels (3) and in closemetal-to-metal contact with the profile of said longer edge (4) withinwhich it is located.

2. A construction as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fixing clip (8) isof substantial J-shape in cross section, the lower leg of the J locatingsaid fluid pipe member (7 the upper part of said I being secured to saidsupport means (1).

3. A construction as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of the saidmetal pipe members (7) constitutes the said main support means (1)enabling a clip-on-place engagement for said panels (3) 4. Aconstruction according to claim 1 in which the main support means (1)consists of a stringer provided with more than one equidistant pair ofpanel-clip-on means (6), the arrangement (FIG. 2) being such that fromeach pair one clip-on-means (6) holds one longer panel edge whereas theopposite longer panel edge is clipped around said metal pipe member (7),which is supported by said fixing clip (8), said pipe member replacingthe opposite clip-on-means of said pair.

5. A construction as claimed in claim 1, in which the main supportmeans 1) consists of a stringer having an inverted U-shaped body, thefree ends of said body being outwardly extending to form flat flangesprovided in the longitudinal direction of the stringer with equidistantpairs of panel-clip-on means (6) and with openings (9), each openingbeing situated closely to the location of a panel-clip-on means (6),fixing clips (8) of substantially I-shape in cross section, the lowerleg of the J locating said fluid pipe member (7), the upper part beingsecured to one of said flanges of the main support means by being hookedthrough one of said openings, the arrangement being such that from eachpair of at least a number of pairs one clip-on-means (6) holds onelonger panel edge, whereas the opposite longer panel edge is clippedaround said metal pipe member which is sup- 3 4 ported by said fixingclip (8), said pipe member replac- 2,782,006 2/1957 Prenger 16556 ingthe pp p- 2,729,431 1/195 Lime 165 56 References Cited 2,818,235 12/1957Baran 16556 3,366,170 1/1968 Welz 16553 UNITED STATES PATENTS 52,662,746 12/ 1953 Jorn 165-56 EDWARD J. MICHAEL, Primary Examiner2,662,745 12/1953 Jorn et a1. 16556

